If football is played in Heaven, then God is now rubbing his hands, writes Chris Ashmore.

Big matches often fail to live up to their billing, but Real Madrid and Barcelona produced a belter on Sunday night that genuinely deserved the title of El Clasico.

If Cristiano Ronaldo leads Portugal to victory in the final of Euro 2016, will his career have been more successful than rival Lionel Messi, asks Robert McNamara

Last week, many around Real Madrid were claiming that the selection of their youth talent was their best hope of getting something from this season.

Barcelona and Lionel Messi are again the centre of admiration in the football world and rightly so.

Leicester 2 Southampton 0: Leicester manager Nigel Pearson praised the way Esteban Cambiasso has adapted to a relegation fight during his first year in English football.

The best, like the best comics, know timing is everything.

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Cristiano Ronaldo is a shoo-in for this year’s Ballon d’Or after he notched his third hat-trick in four Primera Division games.

Real Madrid’s 2014/15 season so far has been full of drama and pandemonium, but the club’s AGM yesterday was as serene as could be for club president Florentino Perez.

Sorry about that World Cup jinx, everybody.

THE BANNER held up in the Argentine end depicted Pope Francis with his disciples on either side.

Welcome to your Tuesday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

As far as Real Madrid are concerned, there is no debate to be had – Alfredo Di Stefano was, quite simply, “the best footballer of all time”.

Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano is in a serious but stable condition in hospital after suffering a heart attack.

Real Madrid great Alfredo Di Stefano has been admitted to hospital after suffering a heart attack, the club have announced.

Sandro Rosell’s resignation as Barcelona president on Thursday came as a huge initial surprise, but also fit with a longstanding tradition at the Catalan club.

Portuguese forward Eusebio died of a heart attack in Lisbon at the age of 71 yesterday leaving behind a legacy that marks the Benfica legend out as one of the greatest players in soccer history.

Gareth Bale has passed his medical at Real Madrid and will get his first taste of life as a galactico this afternoon when he is presented at the Bernabeu.

There were no little old ladies dashing about with fresh cuts of altar flowers.

In football’s catechism of cliché it is customary to claim that some one-season wonder is “frighteningly good”.

Spain’s El Clasico is sometimes the most overhyped match on earth, but on Sunday evening Barcelona and Real Madrid lived up to their billing with a genuine classic, illuminated by scintillating displays from the two stars.

Barcelona midfielder Xavi felt his side “deserved much more” than to draw the first Clasico of the league season 2-2 with Real Madrid last night.

HE didn’t start the fire; it was always burning since the world’s been turning.

WHEN Real Madrid beat Barcelona in the 2002 Champions League semi-final, the worldwide TV audience was estimated at 500 million. When Barcelona ran riot last November, 400 million watched on the box and countless millions more on laptops round the world.

PAMPLONA is no city for old men — or faint hearts. The favoured local entertainment is when they release the bulls into the streets every morning during the Fiesta of San Fermín.

Lionel Messi tonight became the inaugural winner of the FIFA Ballon d’Or at a glittering award ceremony in Zurich.

THERE is something about Christmas that brings out the best in us, and the worst.

THERE are questions and then there is the question: Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?

Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano was re-admitted to hospital last night with heart problems.

Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o pointed to combative midfielder Mark van Bommel as Bayern Munich’s “decisive weapon” ahead of tomorrow night’s Champions League final in Madrid.

BRAZIL legend Pele has hit back in his war of words with Diego Maradona by ridiculing the Argentine’s ‘hand of God’ goal against England in 1986.

CRISTIANO RONALDO fulfilled a “childhood dream” last night as he was unveiled as a Real Madrid player in front of an estimated crowd of 80,000 at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

KAKA was officially presented as a Real Madrid player last night in front of tens of thousands of fans and a huge media contingent at the club’s Bernabeu stadium last night.

BARCELONA president Joan Laporta has lashed out at Real Madrid and lambasted his counterpart Florentino Perez for “distorting” the transfer market after the €65 million world-record signing of Kaka from AC Milan.

FRIENDSHIP is not the most important commodity among team-mates, according to Arsène Wenger.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confirmed Spain could be banned from international competition if their government tries to intervene in the election process of the Spanish FA.

Hungary and Real Madrid legend Ferenc Puskas – one of football’s all-time greats – has died after long battle against pneumonia.

REAL MADRID honorary president Alfredo Di Stefano has questioned the wisdom of signing Thierry Henry after revealing the Spanish giants turned down the chance to buy him eight years ago.

Real Madrid honorary president Alfredo di Stefano has questioned the wisdom of signing Thierry Henry after revealing the Spanish giants turned down the chance to buy him eight years ago.

Real Madrid full-back Roberto Carlos is confident he has a future at the Bernabeu and is unconcerned over reports linking Arsenal’s Ashley Cole with a move to the Spanish giants.

REAL MADRID legend Alfredo di Stefano has been moved out of intensive care as he continues his recovery from a heart bypass operation.

REAL MADRID legend Alfredo di Stefano has been moved out of intensive care as he continues his recovery from a heart bypass operation.

Real Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano has been moved out of intensive care as he continues his recovery from a heart bypass operation.

Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano underwent heart bypass surgery this morning.